Supporting system for machines of aerial navigation



l2 sheets-sheet 1 R. P. PESCARA SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR MACHINES OF" AERIAL NAVIGATION Filed lril 25.

July 14 1925.

July 14, 1925. 1,546,313

R. P. PESCARA SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR MACHINES OF AERIAL NAVIGATION Filed Apzfil 2 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet?l Patented `luly 14, 17925. a I

RAUL PATEBAS PESCARA', or BARCELONA, SPAIN.

SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR MACHINES F AERIAL NAVIGATION.

Application liled April 25, 1922. Serial No. 556,541..

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CARA, citizen of the Argentine Republic, residing at Barcelona, Spain, Calle de la Buena Suerte 20, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting Systems for Machines of Aerial Navigation, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is directed to an improvement in machines adapted for aerial navigation, and is designed to provide a machine having the advantages of the helicopter.

type and aeroplane type.

The characteristic obj ect is the provision of a supporting system for machines of this type, together with various controls and operating means therefor, which supporting system' may at the will of the aviator be permitted a rotation for use as supporting propellers or be held fixed relative to the body of the machine for use as aeroplane supporting surfaces.

A further object is the provision of means whereby the angle of incidence, of the supporting surfaces may be chan ed at will.

rllhe invention is illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. l and 1a together constitute a vertical sectional view, showing the supporting system in the form ofan upper or superior supporting surface and a lower or inferior supporting surface, the superior supporting surface being shown in transverse section in outline, and the inferior supporting surface being shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is an enlargedsection through the locking means. f' y Fig. 3 is a plan of the frame work of one end of one of the supporting surfaces.

The supporting surfaces and 11 are constructed as aeroplane wings or planes of the thick win type, each surface comprising upper an lower blades supported by metallic longitudinal struts 12, having transverse ribs covered with any suitable material as linen or the like. The framework at each end of the wing or plane is supported in a central carrier 14, through the medium of an intermediate section 13, so that each supporting surface is divided in two parts in a manner to permit the respective parts to be independently moved about4 their longitudinal axes.

To provide for using the supporting s ur faces as planes or as propellers, the carriers "14 ofthe respective surfaces are fixed to RAUL PATERAS Pnsfor appropriate movement at longitudinal hubs 47 and 48 rotatably sup# ported through the medium of ball bearings 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, in a special casing 55. Slidably mounted upon what may be termed the enlarged portions 33 and 34 Vforming continuations of the hubs referred to, are ball bearings 30 and 32, these ball bearings being longitudinally adjustabloof the hub sections through the medium of forks -26 connected together beyond their pivots by a rod 23, which is connected 22 to one end of a bell crank lever 20. The bell crank lever is pivotally supported at 21v and in turn connected at 19 to one end of a rod 18, the opposite end of which is connected at 17 to a hand lever 15 pivotally supported intermediate its ends at 16p. .The forks 25 and 26 are pivotally Supported'at 27 and 28 and their fork terminals are connected at 29 to the outer race member of the ball bearings 30 and 32,' whereby movement of the handle 15 will cause these ball bearings to be moved in the same direction longitudinally of the'hub extensions. lThe inner raceways of the respective ball bearings 30 and 32 support at diametrically opposite points, rods 35 and 36, which are slidably guided in lugs 39' and 40. V-shaped sections 41 and 42 arefixed tothe respective rods 35 and 36 at one end and at the opposite end are connected with the longitudinal struts 12 of the respective sections of each A surface. ln connection with the construction just described, appropriate movement of the hand lever 15 will move the ball bearings 30 and 32 and thus in connection with the upper supporting surface 10 will move the respective sections thereof in the directions of the arrows 56 and 57. The supporting surface will then have the aspect of a propeller with two blades, and as the angle of incidence is controlled both in direction and degree by the movement of the lever 15, the angle of incidence of these blades Mis variable and reversible.

-The hubs 47 and 48 terminate in conical tooth crowns 85. and 86, adapted to be operated by a pinion 87 driven from a motor is obviously necessary that they be fixed with relation to each other and to the machine, and the invention contemplates'means 67, connected by a rod 65, which latter isA connected intermediate its'ends to ay bell crank 64, and Ithe latter operated by a rod 63 having connection with a handle 62. Thus the sleeves and 61 may atvwill be moved lon itudiiially of the hubs to engage the teet 58 and 59 to thereby indirectly lock the hubs and therefore the supporting surfaces with respect to the casing 55.

Y To provide for absorbing the shock for the interruption of the propeller movement,` `for the supporting surfaces by the locking meansdescribed, each of the sleeves 60 and 61 is provided with a radial lug 68 connected to one end of a rod 69, the other end of which carries a piston operating in a cylinder 79, full of oil, and communicating with an adjacent cylinder 80 which is supplied with air of a predetermined pressure. IThe cylinder 79 is provided with'an aiiular internal ange 81 against the air si e of which isai'ranged a non-air tight disc 8 2 held in position by a spring 83. The piston 70 has a reduced head 84 which can pass through the opening interiorly of the ange 81. The sleeves 60 and 61 are each provided with a' projection or tooth 71, and a latch 72 is arranged to cooperate therewith for locking purposes. The latch 72 is carried by a piston 7 3 movable in a cylinder 74 fixed with the casing 55." A spring 75 adjustably tensioiied by a cap 76 fitting the end Vof the cylinder 74, bears upon the piston 7 3 and cushionslthe movement thereof, a spring 78 inzdueiicing the latch toward the tooth 71 of the sleeve. sleeves 60 and 61 into cooperation with the teeth 58 and 59, the sleeves are xed with relation to the hubs 47 and 48 and the further rotary movement of the sleevesincident to the then rotary movement of the hubs. is retarded by the dash pot effect of the piston 70, until finally. the tooth 71 rides be ond the latch 72. At this movement, the cad 84 of the piston 70 has engaged the disc 82,

and the rotative force has been completely absorbed by this dash pot action. Of course any additional rotative force will carry the piston head 84 farther in its air compressive movement and correspondinglymove the tooth 71 awa from the end of the latchv 7 2,`but to estab 'sh equilibrium, thevparts move in the reverse direction under the air pressure, and this vreverse movement is ab- In the movementv of the sorbed by the spring 75 behind the latch until the parts come to rest in proper position to maintain the supporting surfaces as planes of an aeroplane. Obviously, the reverse movement of the lever 72 moves the sleeves 60 and 61 from cooperation with the teeth 58, 59, when the hubs are again free for rotative movement. The stability of the machine is obtained by'periodic differential warping of the extremities of the supporting surfaces when -fthese surfaces work as propellers or by ordinary warping when these supporting surfaces act as fixed planes. This warping is controlled by a rod 93 which 4extends through the hubs 47, 48, and is centrally provided with a vball section operating in' a. fixed socket, permittingl the inclination of the rod 93 around Ithis joint 94 in all directions, the movement of the rod being controlled by rods 91, 92, connected to the usual joy stick A90. The terminals of the rod 93 are arranged within the respective supportingsurfaces and are there provided with ball and socket joint ball bearings 95, 96. @n the exterior raceway of each of these ball bearings are fixed sleeves .97, 98, and arranged in these sleeves are tubes 89, caps 100, holding the tubes i'n-place but permitting their independent rotation. rlhe tubes extend in opposite directions longitudinally and centrally of the supporting surface and are connected to the longitudinal struts 12 of each section of the surface by keys 108 passing through slots in the tubes. The

tubes are further provided with threaded 100.

sections 101, 102, arranged near the ends of the tube, which sections cooperate with threaded sleeves 103, 104, having arms 105, 106, connected to a secondary longitudinal strut' 107 arranged near the edge of the surm5 face section. t By operationof the joy stick and the consequent inclination of the rod 93, the-ball bearings 96 will be correspondingly tilted,

with the effect to cause the respective rods 89 110 j to move longitudinally in opposite directions, and thereby cause a corresponding Y raising or lowering movement of the outer ends of the arms 105, 106, and a correspondy Ying raising or lowering of the edge of the supporting surface in which the secondary strut 107 is fixed. In the use of the supporting surfaces as propellers, this warping is of course periodic, while 1n the use of the supporting surfaces as fixed planes, 12o

the warping provides for the lateral stability as inthe ordinary aeroplane. It will be appreciated that the mechanism for securing variable incidence of the surfaces ashereinabove described, does not interfereiV with and is not obstructed by the warping mechanism just described, as through the mounting' of the inner ends of the tubes 89, .they vmay betui'ned bodily on themselves through the movement of the keys 108.

icoA

v sub The gearing 85, 86, 87, is in effect a differential, for if the apparatus be considered as in full flight, an inequality Ina-y be produced between the resistance to rotation of the superior and inferior supporting surfaces. In fact, this inequality may, by suitable mechanism, be controlled in order to permit directing the machine in a given direction. In the event of inequality of the forces of resistance, the pinion 87 is eX- posed to different re-actions from the two pro ellers marked 85, 86, and is therefore iect to a resultant strain or stress perpendicular to its axis of rotation. This strain or stress is transmitted to the pinion bearings and thereby to the Whole machine. The effect produced is thus to cause the machine and pinion 87 to turn in space about the vertical axis of rotation of the supporting surfaces. Thus pinion 87 acts as a satellite of the differential formed by the gear set noted, or the elements of which turn around the common axis of the supporting surfaces at different speeds, the speed of rotation of the pinion 87 being equa-l to the difference between the speeds of rotation of the supporting surfaces.

lVhat is claimed as new, is:

l. In an aerial machine, superimposed supporting surfaces, independent hubs connected thereto, a differential for operating the respective surfaces in opposite directions, and means for lockingthe supporting surfaces in relative rigidity with themachine, said locking means including a shock absorbing interlock.

2. Anl aerial machine, comprising a supporting surface adapted for rotative use as a propeller, means for locking saidsurface for use as a plane, means for periodically warping a portion of such surface, said means being automatically controlled in the use of the surface as a propeller.

3. Anaerial machine, comprising a supporting `surface adapted for rotative usel as a propeller, means for locking said surface for use as a plane, means for periodically warping a portion of such surface, said means being automatically varied in the use of the supporting surface as a propeller.

4. In an aerial machine, superimposed supporting surfaces, independent hubs connected thereto, a differential for operating the respective surfaces in opposite `directions," and means for loc-king the sup-porting surfaces in relative rigidity with the. machine, said locking means including a shock absorbing interlock, and means for independently controlling the operating means and locking means.

5. An aerial machine comprising a supporting surface adapted for rotative use. as a propeller, means for rocking said surface for use as a plane, means for automatically and periodically warping a portion of such vsurface when such surface is in use as a controlling the 1ers, means for fixing said shafts relative to the casing to utilize said surfaces as lanes, warping means mounted on each surace, and a shaft extending longitudinally of the casing and simultaneously controlling said warping means.

' RAUL PATERAS PESCARA. 

